davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
St. Landry democrat., 1887-10-22
TRYING TO GET RID OF A WIFE.

Intellectual Efforts of Frenchman to
Drown His Better Half.
It is not often that we hear of such re-
markable and persistent efforts to get rid
of a recalcitrant wife as those made by
Partisan workman named Barthes, who
has just been tried at the assizes. One
day he invited his better half to look
down well which was near his house in
the suburbs of the city. When she did
so he pushed her in. The woman, on
coming to the surface of the water,
shrieked for help. Her husband let down
q bucket by means of rope, and to this
she chung with tenacity, believing that
she was about to be saved. Her husband,
however, ruled otherwise, and when he
had raised his wife and the bucket near
the top of the well he let go, and the
woman was once more precipitated into
the water. AS she reappeared, Barthes
threw large stones on her to make her
sink. Then the neighbors appeared One
went to fetch ladder, which he put
down to the woman, who was saved after
some difficulty, owing to the continued
opposition of her husband. He has been
sentenced to fifteen years penal serYi-
tude.-E rcbGnge.
St. Landry democrat., 1887-10-22
A BIG STORE.
NEED OF SUCH AN INSTITUTION
IN NEW YORK.
The Business of That Great City Carried
on Entirely in Small Shops-A Man of
Great Brains Needed for Such an Import
ant Enterprise Examples.
rCODUriQhted, 1SSt.l


It is very curious thing that while
business is treading in and upon the
most exclusive parts of New York city,
laying waste Fifth avenue and setting
itself up beside the million-dollar man
sions of ten hundred millionaires, it is
all running in the direction of little
shops, instead of concentrating itself IN
few colossal stores, as the modern ten
dency is in other cities.
1t is true that Sixth avenue has some
business houses that spread over good
deal of ground, but they are trivial,
after all, compared with Wanamaker' S
in Philadelphia, with Whitely's in Lon
don, and even with new establishment
lately opened in Brooklyn, which pos
sesses open galleries and arcades stored
with tempting wares, among which a
lady can roam for whole day feasting
her eyes, without injury to her purse, if
she so pleases.
1t is a remarkable fact that since
"Stewart's' we have in New York no
great "store.' We have many good ones,
many that would be considered great in
smaller cities, many devoted to special
ties that have been known for a genera
ton to an exclusive clientele. But We
have no great, many -sided business
St. Landry democrat., 1887-10-22
FAIR RACES.
Some Suggestive Ideas on the Color of 3
White Man.


Some Suggestive Ideas on the Color of q
White Man.
Canon Isaac Taylor's paper contains
the observation that "falr races have
greater tendency to become dark in
southern cline than dark races to become
fair in northern regions The Newcas-
tie ChronicIe says: This is not the first
time that the observation has been made;
and another who made it so far out
stripped Canon Taylor and contemporary
anthropOlogists as to go beyond the
mere influence of climate for an explana-
ton. We read this in Schopenhauer's
chapter on the Metaphysics of the Love
of the Sexes Blondes prefer dark per-
sons, or brunettes; but the latter sell
dom prefer the former The reason is,
that fair hair and blue eyes are i'll
themselves a variation from the type,
almost an abnormity, analogous to white
mice, or at least to gray horses. In no
part of the world, not even in the vlcln-
itv of the pole, are they indigenous, ex-
cept in Europe, and are clearly Of Scan
dinavan origin. The white color of the
skin is not natural to man. COnse-
quently, a white man has never origi-
nallv sprung from the womb of nature,
and thus there is no such thing as white
race, much as this is talked of, but each
white man is faded or bleached one.
Forced into the strange world where he
exists only as an exotic plant, and, like
this, requires in winter the hot house, in the
course of thousands of years man be-
came white There is something about
this question of race which the anthrO-
biologists have failed to explain by any
argument drawn from climate, cOrsdl-
tiOns of life, or conquest. How comes
it, for example that the Laps and Esqul-
mauX, subjected for ages to Identical
conditions of life. yet retain their respec-
tive differences; that the Jew preserves
his original type under every sky; that
the Chinese, scattered for countless CEN
turtles through all the climates, abandon
not their original qualities-qualities yet
more pronounced and original than
those of the Hebrew? More note
worthy still, how comes it that the
gypsy without intercourse with his kind,
without history or written tradition,
carries with him alike on the cold plains
of the North as in the warmer regions of
the South, the same features, the same
tendencies-down to the pettiest inclina-
lions of the soul? If. as some say, the
inhabitants of high regions, where the
pressure of the air is small, become soft
and apathetic, how is it to be explained
that the Peruvian was SO gentle and
simple and the Mexican so bloodthirsty
and cruel-two people coming of the
same stock, equally intelligent, and
living on similar heights and in atmos-
pheres of equal pressures
St. Landry democrat., 1887-10-22

house which has enlarged its borders
with the growth of the metropolis, which
takes in and supplies every human need,
and is at once bazar, show-place and un-
failing storehouse for the stranger and
the shopper.
The great store requires the man. Since
A. T. Stewart died we have not the man.
He was ahead of his time. He organ
ICED retail business upon new princi-
pies; he established fixed prices, and he
catered with equal industry to the wife
of the mechanic and the wife of
the millionaire. On the Fourth-av-
enue side of his great marble pal
ace were serviceable materials, made by
his own looms, in his own factories, at a
price within the reach of every one; in
the reception -room," walled with glass,
on an upper floor, the finest evening
dresses, their fabrics and accessories,
were constantly on exhibition, by gas
light in the daytime as well as in the
evening, so that ladies could judge, and
choose, and see, and talk about what
they saw, which was one great secret of
his success.
These methods have been followed by
the great houses all over the country and
have built them up. Mr. Stewart was the
subject of unlimited abuse for Swallow
ing up" the small tradesmen, for selling
their wares, perfumes, soaps and mi
nor articles lower than they could
afford to do, and for reducing in the
same way the cost of millinery and made
up costumes. But now this concentra
ton of business in few hands is
becoming universal-it is development,
progress, the following of law, and is
good for the purchaser and not bad for
the seller, for the small merchants who
grubbed along and were always in diff
culties are now the statesmen on assured
St. Landry democrat., 1887-10-22

out what you like, or whether there 10
anything you like or not. Nineteen OUT
of twenty women are afraid OF giving
trouble and dread the "airs'' of the ordl-
nary statesmen and saleswomen. Ihere
is none of the old persuasive lnnu-
ence used to induce them to BUY:
Pretty things are not brought out and
shown; it is like drawing teeth" to get
glimpse of really good design in wrap
or costume; and if the order is not given
promptly on sight, severe look ana
toss of the head inform you that
you are mo good" and that when you
get that young person to show you
anything again you'll know it. The ma
jority of buyers want to see things, judge
of effects and make approximate calcula,
tons. This applies to every grade and
condition of life, particularly in this
country, where so many of our rich men
and women have not always been rich,
and have no experience by which to be
guided in making their transitions. New
York is a city of marvels, but it has not
yet supplied its million and half OF In
habitants with the means of shopping
either pleasantly or intelligently:
JENNIE JUNE.
St. Landry democrat., 1887-10-22
WEALTH OF ALASKA.
TIME HAS INDICATED SECRE-
TARY SEWARD'S COURSE.
His Purchase is 40 Longer Called in De-
rision Walrussia-The Climate a Great
Surprise to all visitors-veins of Copper
Ore Running Through its Mountains.
fCOnuri1bfed 1871

rCopvri0htsd. 1871
At the time of the purchase of Alaska
in 1867, great outcry was raised against
Secretary Seward and he was condemned
On all sides for throwing away the pub
lie money in the purchase of barren
territory. The newspapers ridiculed the
transaction and gave to our new pur-
chase the title of Walrus-sia. Numer-
GUS mock advertisements appeared in
their columns purporting to come from
the secretary, in which large sums were
offered for icebergs, Polar bears, volca-
noes, rocky islands and other worthless
features of the Polar regions.
Time has indicated the secretary
course and even begun to show the great
wisdom he displayed in the face of a
storm of opposition and ridicule.
We are just now beginning to dis
cover the vast wealth which lies hidden
in our Arctic province, and which is
only waiting for American skill and in
dustry to bring it to light. Already en-
igration has commenced to move toward
her shores and it will not be long before
St. Landry democrat., 1887-10-22

amount to $6,340, 900, or nearly enough
to pay for Alaska This company con-
trolls nearly the whole fur trade. The
most valuable of the furs of that region
is the sea otter, selling up as high as
5000 for the finest pelts; the silver fox
comes next at $75 to 800.
There are over sixty species of food
fish found in the waters of Alaska, the
most valuable of which are the salmon,
cod and halibut Cod are found in great
numbers along the whole south shore,
the principal banks being situated along
the Aleutian islands. They are equal
in quality to those found elsewhere and
are sufficiently abundant to supply the
world. There are now about forty YES
sells engaged in catching these fish. The
catch last year, with fewer vessels,
amounted to one and half million of
fish. Our trouble with Great Britain
may find a solution in Alaska's cod
banks. Halibut have become so scarce
on the Atlantic coast that fishing
vessels now 90 as far north as Green
land for them. They are very abundant
in Alaska waters and are very large,
weighing as high as 800 pounds. In re-
gard to the salmon of Alaska it would
be folly to relate the evidence of their
great abundance, for it would only be
credited as fish story" Nevertheless,
it is true that during the midsummer run
of these fish to the spawning grounds
the fresh-water streams are literally
choked up with them. They move in
such solid mass that one might easily
lay a plank bridge on their backs. At
cannery on Kadiak island one haul of
the seine yielded enough fish to fill 10000
one-pound cans. The average cost of a
salmon on the Columbia river is ninety
cents, while in Alaska it is not over one
cent. The fish required to fill case of
St. Landry democrat., 1887-10-22

degrees of latitude. Vegetstion that
fourlsnes in 400 north latitude on the
Atlantic coast grows quite as ! xuriantly
in sixty degrees north latit Re on the
Pacific. From this warm Gu rent arise
the Chinook winds, warm ali currents
which moderate the temperature lar IA
land. The Russian officials kept me.
neurological record at Sitka for forty five
years, and during that period the Their
mometer fell below zero but four times.
Last winter the lowest point reached was
four degrees above zero. The mean
temperature at Sitka for the year is for
tyfour degrees, or about the same a.
that of Richmond, Va.
The warm Chinook winds meet the
cold air currents that come down from
the Arctic regions and thus precipitate
heavy rainfall According to the re-
cords kept at Sitka the average annual
rainfall is ninety inches, while this year
it promises to go far above 100 inches.
Thunderstorms never occur during the
summer months, but in the winter snow
falls are not uncommon. The weather
record for Sitka, 1886, gives clear days
forty-four, fair 1872, cloudy 1919.
The most promising feature of Alaska
is its mineral wealth. Numerous veins
of copper ore crop out all through its
mountains. Immense beds of iron are
common, some of which are magnetic
ore. Coal is abundant, and mines have
been opened as far north as Boring strait.
Petroleum is found floating on many of
the streams, and was years ago gathered
and utilized by the Russians. Alaska is
particularly rich in gold. On Douglas
island is situated vein of gold-bearing
ore which is the largest known to the
world it being from $50 to 500 feet in
thickness. It is owned and worked by
the Treadwell Mining Company, of San
Francisco. They have in operation a
12O-stamp mill, which is the largest one
in the world, and are now erecting
another of the same size.
At Silver Bay basin not far from Jul
neau, there are large placer mines being
worked at a good profit. Numerous veins
of paving ore have been struck in this dis
trict, and it is thought that within year
1000 stamps will be at work crushing
ore. Near Sitka several stamp-mills are
running. and some rich ore has been
struck. One thousand miles northwest
of Sitka, at Golovin bay, silver mine
yielding $500 per ton has recently been
opened
At the present time the most i'm
portant industry in Alaska is the fur
trade, yielding $2,5OO,60 annually.
The Alaska Commercial Company has
leased from the government the exclu-
sive privilege of killing seals On the PR
bylov islands, for which it pays $317,-
900 annually. The lease expires in 1890,
ct which time the total rent paid will
St. Landry democrat., 1887-10-22
ABSENCE OF wASPs

And the Consequent Growls from a Large
Section of England.
:, Throughout the greater part of the
}kingdom there appears to have been this
summer a very remarkable absence of
wasps, and, as one consequence (the Daily
> Neaos says, we suppose honey is reported
to be remarkably abundant in many
quarters. According to the British Bee
Journal there are good many persons
who will not be sorry to see return of
the plunderers In Wiltshire, we are
told, "the wasping season" is kind of
harvest for the country TO K, and it is
added that the Earl of Radnor has for
many years paid shilling for wasp's
nest and two shillings for nest of hor-
nets. The pay does not seem extrava-
CANT. 1t must be lively work sometimes.
The countryman who, in the operation
of taking hornets nest, gets the infuri-
ated swarm about his ears must be con-
sidered fairly entitled to any recreation
and innocent enjoyment he may be able
to get out of this pastime Of nest hunting
Sir Joseph Banks assures us that every
wasp's nest has its sentinels stationed at
the entrance; and he adds, that if by any
maneuvring the communication between
these sentinels outside and the swarm
within can be cut off, the destruction of
the enemy assailed may be proceeded
with at leisure and with very little risk.
He does not tell us, however, how the
sentinels are to be circumvented; and
fshether the rustics of Wiltshire are in
Possession of the secret of doing so we
do not know. 1t is said that the books
of Lord Radnor show an annual payment
during the last twelve years of $210 on
the average. Assuming that it is desira-
BILE to extirpate wasps-an assumption
which perhaps should not be too hastily
arrived at-a price put upon the head of
a queen wasp in the early summer would,
one would think, be more effective than
a reward for taking nest. The destruc-
ton of single queen has been computed
to be equivalent to the killing of 10000
wasps in the course of a season. Possibly
some epidemic among queens last spring
may account for the scarcity of neuters
so generally observed this summer.
St. Landry democrat., 1887-10-22

.oo,Jvv: II is said they have taken as
nigh as 2,7OO barrels of fish at one haul
with the seine.
AS an evidence of the profitableness
of this industry it may be mentioned
that one cannery last year paid divi-
dend of eighty per cent
Alaska possesses an inexhaustible sup
ply of timber. The most valuable species
are the yellow cedar, spruce, hemlock and
red cedar. Many of these trees grow to
an enormous size, frequently reaching
nine feet in diameter. The forests in
many places are perfect jungles. The
rank growth of ferns, alder, MOSES and
wild-berry bushes makes them almost
impenetrable. The salmon berry, which
resembles our raspberry the strawberry,
gooseberry and cranberry grow wild
in great abundance
1t is not likely that Alaska will ever
become an agricultural country owing to
its mountainous character, though grass
and even grain do well on the low lands.
Blue grass, blue joint, red top and wild
timothy grow luxuriantly in places as
far north as Kotzebue sound Vegeta-
bles grow well, especially potatoes, cab
bages and beets. What few cattle are
in the country seem to thrive.
1t will be seen from this outline of the
resources of our Arctic province that it
is not the barren waste we have been
accustomed to consider it.
To sum up what Alaska is now yield
ing, it will be as we'll to take the follow
ing figures from the report of Governor
Swineford for 1886:
St. Landry democrat., 1887-10-22

there will be arush. Wealth
will draw seekers, no mat
ter in what cline it may be
located, and it is the pur-
pose of this article oprove
that Alaska not only has
immense undevel ed
wealth, but to show that it
is a much more attractive
country than the popular
idea gives it credit for.
Such a large country ne
cessarily differs much in
formation and in climate.
Nearly the whole of Alaska
is underlaid with a hard
granite rock, though there
are some valleys in which a
rich soil has been deposited
by the rivers. Most of the
mainland and nearly all
the islands are covered with
mountains. These bear a
heavy growth of the fir tree,
which extends to an altitude
of several thousand feet,
having in many places a
heavy underground. Wher-
ever there is soil in South
eastern Alaska the vegeta-
ton is as rank as that of a
tropical forest. Florida does
not possess such a rank
growth of trees and under
growth.
The climate of this por-
ton of the territory is a
great surprise to those who
visit that section for the
first time. Instead of the
rigorous climate which pop
ular belief attributes to it,
it is milder than that of
most of the States. The
great Japan current, or
Kuro Siwo, pours an i'm
mense volume of warm
water along the coast and
through the islands, tenn
pering the atmosphere to
such an extent that its
effect is equal to twenty
St. Landry democrat., 1887-10-22
INVENTIVE GENIUS.
How it Develops in Streaks and Shoals Like
Literary Genius.

How it Develops in Streaks and Shoals Like
Literary Genius.
One of the leading authors of the pres
ent day has remarked that genius comes
in shoals" There is depth of truth in
the remark, says contemporary, which
must at once be patent to all who are
familiar with the history of our country,
and in no field of inquiry does the fact
stand out so prominently as in
the great outbreak of inventive
genius by which our country is distin-
guished. The Elizabethan age was char
acterized by shoal of dramatists, next
we have shoal of essayists, with the
amable Addison at their head, and down
through the years until what Carlyle has
called 1.-The mechanical age" set in. The
birthday of the manufacturing suprem-
acy of England was undoubtedly the 9Th
of January, 1869, when James Watt an
nounced his patent "for method of les
SEEMING the consumption of steam and
fuel in fire engines" This was the source
and sustaining power of mechanical
energy whose action quickly changed
the face of the world.
The inventive minds fulled in shoal,
and before half century elapsed En-
gland was in possession of the most
perfect mechanical appliances. Since the
commencement of the "mechanical age
the aspect of the country has been en-
tirely changed. In districts like the
"Black country where nothing for
merly appeared but rural scenery, great
manufacturing establishments have been
erected, towns raised, and the roar of fur
naces, the noise of machinery, the buzz of
reels, and ceaseless activity now diver
sify the scene where nothing was for
merly heard but the purlng stream or the
bowling of the tempest. Not only do
the inventive minds come in shoals, but
shoals of inventors who concentrate
their united energy on some special
branch of mechanics or science are
every now and then springing up, and
invention follows invention with sur
prising rapidity. These inventions
are always shifting; at one time
there is a run for improved furnaces, at
another improved modes of construct
ing ships; then comes change to ma
chinery, or some matter of great public
interest, like the rivalry in the improving
of the different systems of electric light
ing. Not only do inventions shift from
one branch of science and mechanics to
another, but at times lull comes over
one country, and great outbreak of in
ventive genius breaks out in another
ountry.-Scaentitc american.
Make rule, and pray to God to help You
keep it, never, If possible, to lie down at
night without being able to say, II have
made one human being at least little wiser,
or little happier, or little better this day.
Charles Ktn0skeu
St. Landry democrat., 1887-10-22
S4,O75,OOO
A. R. HACK.
A Treasurer's Heirloom.

Mr.. Waldo "a guest Of Mrs. Wabash's, of
Chicago)-That is very odd-looking table
knife, Mrs Wabash. Silver, is it not?
Mrs. Wabash-Yes, it has been in the
family great many years and prize it very
highly as an heirloom. I only use it to eat
pie with.-Texas Siftinqs.
St. Landry democrat., 1887-10-22

FIVE lozen one-pound cans
cost tbout fourteen cents,
and lch a case is worth in
San francisco IS 25. Eight
can tries and nine sailing
esta ishments put up last
- 100000 cases of canned
salmon and 10000 barrels of
,alted.
At Killisnoo there is a
'ompany engaged in making
oil from herring. They haul
The seines with steamtugs
Ind take out the fish with a
steam scoop. The catch last
wear was $4,000 barrels of
herring, from which 100000
low of oil were made.
the value of which was
St. Landry democrat., 1887-10-22

"What under Heaven made me think
saw the pretty maiden wink?
All, ha! see the reason why,
She had cinder in her eve"
St. Landry democrat., 1887-10-22

keep it, never, If possible, to lie down at
night without being able to say, II have
made one human being at least little wiser,
or little happier, or little better this day.
--Chdrles Kingskey.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-11-26
Y. M. G. A. NOTES.
Announcements of Pending Meetings-Mr.
C. C. Cases Coming Musical Convention.

The Ladies' Auxiliary of the Young Mems
Christian Association will meet Monday after
noon. Nov. IS, at 230 o'clock, in the parlors
of the association building.
There will be special meeting of the Young
Mems Christian Association on Monday evening.
at 7:30 o'clock, to consider a form of new const-
tuition and to vote upon applications for mem
bership.
The reading-room committee added the fol-
lowing to their list of papers and periodicals
yesterday afternoon: The Scientific American,
Century, St. Nicholas. Inter Ocean. Cincinnati
the Sunday school Times Others will be added
from time to time, until the room is furnished
with attractive assortment in all departments.
Young mems gospel meeting will be held to-
morrow afternoon at o'clock 1t is expected
that MIR c. G. Case, the noted soloist. will be
present and sing.
Persons who attend the annual meeting of the
Charity Organization Society at English's Ope-
rahcuse, Sunday evening, will have the pleasure
of hearing a solo By Mr.. c. &. Case. the we'll
known Chautauqua musical director and evan
geistic singer. He comes to Indianapolis to
conduct a two-weeks' musical convention and
course of instruction in Y. M. c. A. Hall. be-
ginning Monday afternoon. the chief object be-
ing to improve the performance of church mu-
sic. A general invitation is extended TO all low
srs Of N usic to come out Monday night and en-
joy an old-fashioned singing school. It is PROB
able that Mr.. Case will sing at the morning serv
Ice of the Second Presby terrain Church to-
morrow.